I fish all year once the ice is melted, until the ice starts building on the lake.  once the ice is sturdy enough to walk on, you'll find my out on the ice.  I've had some of my best fishing days through the ice.  so there's only a few week stretch that I don't fish, which is when the ice is not sturdy enough to walk on.

I try to get out once a week from ice out to ice over - basically March through November.

The latest I fished here in MA was Dec 13th and that was last year. I have never fished in Dec in all my life! Must be global warming.  A week later we got a nor'easter and my snowblower decided to take the day off!  >

I usually fish until I have to bust the ice out of my eyelets. I then turn to the Xbox/Computer fishing games. HeHe.

I am fortunate enough to live in Texas and can fish year round.

Last year by October it was too cold and the wind was insane just about every day I tried going out.

To be honest, I'm very much looking forward to fall/winter fishing, it has been just brutal here in south side Va this year.

It's all about water temperature.  That dictates the start and the end. My earliest bass came on a February 11th trip and the lasted on November 23rd.

I may even try fishing later this year. I been temped lastyear to try fishing thru the open spots on the ice thats near the shore. I just hope i don't lose that new state record. (line cutting on the ice edge)  I also use my cold weather hunting gear to keep warm.

I need to setup my ice sled with more stuff too this year. A cooler, a grill and more fishing stuff for when the ice is finally on solid. I've seen the temps drop so fast and the ice go from just 3" to 24" in a week. I don't like being on 3" ice i see it move.

So long as the water is soft, we fish. Great having a river to fall back on when the lakes freeze.

i've only been seriously into fishing since the spring... so we'll see if i can keep myself together once winter hits :'(

it kinda seems like everyone missed the OPs question about line... so i'll do my best to regurgitate some things i've learned from reading the articles on here.

- you should use as light of a line as the situation and fishing technique permits... i.e.. abrasion resistance requirements, water clarity, how thick is the vegation?

also, line diameter will affect how deep cranks dive

"Another advantage of a thin diameter is that you also have less resistance in the water thus a crankbait will tend to dive deeper on retrieve than with a thicker line." - Selecting Line

By Ronald F. Dodson, Ph.D.

from what i've read... there is a noticeable difference between 8 and 14lb test... but at the same time it almost sounds like 8lb test isn't good enough if you keep having breakoffs.

All year round.

I am lucky enough to live close to a lake that was developed for a nuclear power plant.

Even in the dead of winter I have seen water temps as high as 67 to 70 degrees and some have said it even gets warmer than that.

Lake Anna?

Yep "One Fish Anna" You Fish it too?

Man I love that place!!!

Late fall and winter months do not present a problem.  On the other hand, the July and August heat in Louisiana have been keeping me inside more than usual this year.

'Till duck season